Locomotive refilling apparatus



Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK W. MILLER, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS LOCOMOTIVE RIB-FILLING APPARATUS Application filedMarch 28, 1927. Serial No. 178,939.

This invention pertains in general toap- V paratus adapted for refillinglocomotive boilers with water at high temperatures productive ofsteam atpressures equivalentto the operating pressures of locomotive boilers.

A problem of increasing importance which must be coped w1th, whereverlocomotive terminals of any considerable size are lO-f cated withinorclose to cities, is the necessity of smoke elimination. In addition tothe foregoing problem which is a matter of interest to the inhabitantsof such cities,

there is another problem which pertains to railroad management, namely,the efficient *1. 115 handling of the locomotives in the terminals. Atintervals, the boilers of the locomotivesi must be blown off and washedout and thereafter each locomotive must be refilled again for use andoperating steampressuresmustbe' created in their boilers while thelocomotives are still in the roundhouse or at least still in the yardsadjacent to the roundhouse. Hitherto, after the washing operations, theboilers have been filled with warm water and 5 fired up with coal, thisbeing the most com- 1 ordinances and health laws directed. Such monpractice, the firing up causing the emis-f sion from the rounclhouses ofgreat clouds ofsmoke and noxious gases, against which public indignationhas been aroused and city refilling and refiring has also beenineflicient and wasteful. By means of this invention locomotives may berefilled and prepared for instant use without the creation of smoke andnoxious gases, and in addition to this new result, with an "efliciencynever before attained. 1

One ofthe objects of this invention is to provide means for eflicientlyrefilling loco- 4o motive boilers at terminals with water productive ofsteam at locomotive boiler operating pressures in order that thelocomotives may be ready for service.

Another object of this invention is to pro vide a means for refillinglocomotive boilers and raising the steam pressure therein to operatingpressure without the creation of any smoke or noxious gases.

Another object of this invention is to provide a system foraccomplishing the two foreby means of the pump out tanks at theterminals.

- going objects utilizing the sources of water ,Still another object isto provide a locomo- .tive refilling system adapted to maintain it selffor instant service, themeans and manner of keeping the system in suchcondition beingnot disturbed by uneven demands made? upon it. q 1

I Referring now-to the drawing, the figure illustrates a preferredembodiment of this invention.

Illustrated diagrammatically therein is a." locomotive 11 whose boilercontents may be blown off through the blow-off pipe 12 into a separator13. The separator illustrated operates centrifugally to discharge waterthrough the pipe 14 into the washout tank; 15. The steam discharged bythe separator passes through the pipe 16 into a condenser A refill tank18 is connected to the washout tank 15 by means of pipes 1919 throughvwhich water is pumped into the refill tank 21. Thewater thus receivedinto the refilltank will have such temperature as ordinarily exists inthe wash- It is desirable. that this water in the refill tank be raisedto as near boiling as possible, and this may be doneby utilizing theblown-off steam from locomotives. A pump 22 forces a quantity of thewater from the refill tank through. the pipe 23 into the condenser 17where this hot water mixes with the steam being received from theseparator. The condenser here disclosed is provided with an automaticair vent 24. The condenser discharges into the refill 10.

Sept. 8, 1931. F. w. MILLER LOCOMOTIVE REFILLING APPARATUS Filed March28, I927 jwe/roifar J I ZaIL/I: MflKi/Zer 9 Jw Maw immediately to thetop of the tank, the cooler waterthus. remaining in the bottom of thesecond tank so long as. the incoming water from the pipe 31 is hotterthan the water 'lyingin the lower portions of the second plied water at200 could enter the distribut-' ing main, practically all of the waterof higher temperature previously contained in' the two storage tankswould be forced ahead of it into the distributing mains.

When the refilling system above described is used, a locomotive boilerafter being washed out may be left empty until the time approaches whenit is needed for service again.

At the proper time, it may be connected to a refill drop and a smallquantity of this superheated water will then be admitted to the boiler.As soon as the water enters the boiler, being released from its formerhigh pressure, it will be converted into steam which will fill theboiler, and by regulating the amount of water admitted the boiler can beheated gradually to prevent uneven expansion of the metal yet to bringit up to a proper temperature for the admission of the final charge ofsuperheated water. When the boiler has been conditioned, it will then befilled until the proper water level has been reached, there then beingthe requisite amount of water in the boiler, all thoroughly heated to atemperature which will maintain a steam pressure suitable for theoperation of the 1000- motive. This conditioning and refilling of theboiler is thus accomplished without burn-V ing any fuel in thelocomotive and creating any smoke. Furthermore, the entire operation ismuch more efficient than the previously used methods of boilerrefilling.

The locomotive, having been refilled with water, all of which isproperly heated to maintain steam at locomotive boiler operatingpressures, is then ready for service and may be maintained in thatcondition by the burning of a small amount of fuel in the fire box underconditions that will not produce smoke or by further connection with theboiler refilling system whereby the refilling system will constantly orfrequently replenish the supply of superheated water.

While there are shown in the drawing two storage tanks connected inseries, the systemmay be operated with one storage tank, or

Likewise, the number with more than two. of heaters shown is capable ofbeing varied.

Other changes and modifications together with other objects andadvantages not herein stated are inherent to and are comprehended withinthe scope of this invention.

.heat to and maintain all the water in the high Having shown anddescribed the invention, I claim:

1. A locomotive boiler refilling system comprising a refill tank andmeans for conducting thereinto blown off water from locomotives, meansfor conducting the blow off steam from locomotives into said tank toraise the Water temperature therein, a storage tank into which waterfrom the refill tank is pumped, means for distributing water from saidstor age tank to points of use for refilling locomotives, a heater andmeans for supplying steam thereto approximately at locomotive boilerpressures, and means for recirculating the water in said storage tankand in said dis tributing means through said heater to maintain all ofsaid water at temperatures productive of locomotive boiler pressures.

2. A locomotive boiler refilling system comprising a refill tank andmeans for conduct ing thereintoblown off water from locomotives, acondenser and means for conducting thereinto blown off steam fromlocomotives and hot water from the refill tank, means for conducting thecondenser-products into th 9o refill tank to heat the water therein, astorage tank into which water from the refill tank is pumped, means fordistributing water from said storage tank to points of use for refillinglocomotives, a heater and means for sup plying steam theretoapproximately at locomotive boiler pressures, and means forrecirculating the water in said storage tank and in said distributingmeans through said heater to maintain all of said water at tempera?tures productive of locomotive boiler pressures.

3. In a locomotive boiler refilling system a tank for storing water atlocomotive boiler pressures, means for distributing said watei from saidtank to points of use for refilling locomotives, a heater, means forrecirculating through the heater water drawn separately from the top andthe bottom of said tank to pressure portions of the system atsubstantially the same high temperatures, said temperatures beingproductive of steam at locomotive boiler pressures, and means forsupplying water to the high pressure portions 61 the system wheneverwater is being discharged therefrom, the supply means, the recirculatingmeans, the distributing means and the storage tank being so connectedthat most of the waterin the tank having temperatures higher than thenewly supplied water will be discharged into the distributing meansprior toany discharge thereinto of any of the newly supplied water.

4. In a locomotive boiler refilling system, a plurality of tanks forstoring water heated to temperatures productive of steam at locomotiveboiler pressures, means for heating to and maintaining said water. atsaid temperatures, and means for supplying water to one 130 of the tanksto be heated, and means for distributing water already heated to saidtemperature to points of discharge from the system, said supplying anddistributing means communicating with the lower and upper portionsrespectively of said tanks to exhaust from each tank all of the water insuch tanks having the same temperature before water of lowertemperatures is taken from any one tank.

5. In a locomotive boiler refilling system, a storage tank for holdingwater at locomotive boiler temperatures and pressures, a heater, arefill drop means for distributing the hottest water from said tank tosaid refill drop, and means for recirculating variable proportions ofwater from the distributing means and from the bottom of said tanksthrough said heater to heat said water to and maintain it at the desiredlocomotive boiler temperatures.

6. A locomotive boiler refilling system comprising a blow-off line, aseparator for separating the blown 01f steam and water, a blow-ofi tankto receive the blown oif water, a refill tank, means for pumping thewater from said blow-off tank into said refill tank, a blow-off steamline connecting said separator and said refill tank, a condenserinterposed in said blow-oflf steam line, means for circulating waterfrom said refill tank through said condenser, a storage tank, a heater,a refill line, means for delivering Water from said refill tank underpressure into said storage tank, and means for maintaining a circulationof said Water through said storage tank, refill line and heater.

7. In a locomotive boiler refilling system, a storage tank whosecapacity equals that of a plurality of locomotive boilers, adistributing main connected therewith, a pump connected for deliveringwater into said tank and main and for maintaining a predeterminedpressure on the water in the tank and main, a water heater having acapacity small relatively to the storage capacity of said tank and main,a second pump for positively and continuously circulating water fromsaid tank and main through said heater without reduction in pressurethereof, and means for supplying steam to said heater to raise the watertemperatures therein well above 212 F.

8. In a locomotive boiler refilling system, a storage tank having acapacity equal to that of a plurality of locomotives and a refillingmain connected therewith, a pump connected for delivering water intosaid tank and main and arranged for continuously maintaining pressure onthe Water in said tank and main, a heater separate from the storage tankand having a relatively much smaller water storage capacity than saidtank and connected with said tank and main, a pump connected forcontinuously recirculating water through In witness of the foregoing Iafiix my sign.

nature.

FRANK W. MILLER.

